Mu Shu Jackfruit Lettuce Wraps Featured

Excuse the short introduction to this recipe, but I’m packing my bags and heading to Portland, Oregon, to hobnob with the vegan and famous at Vida Vegan Con. I’ll be giving a food photography presentation, speaking about blog monetization with Nava Atlas, and participating in a panel on privacy and oversharing with Dreena Burton, Joanna Vaught, and Sayward Rebhal. Plus, I’ll be having dinner with friend and fellow blogger Maria, so I’m beyond excited. Daughter E is coming along as my “assistant” (camera bag bearer), so if you’re there, please don’t hesitate to come up to us and tell her that you remember when she was little bitty and wore glasses (she loves that, honest!)

Before I go, I wanted to share a traditional Chinese recipe that I lightened up with the use of jackfruit. You may remember young green jackfruit from my Jackfruit “Crab” Cakes; it’s an Asian fruit that is used as a vegetable when it’s green. As it cooks, it starts to flake and shred, becoming eerily reminiscent of the texture of pulled pork, without all of the antibiotics, cholesterol, or animal suffering. It’s shreddy texture is perfect in this Mu Shu “Pork,” absorbing all the sweet and salty flavors of the sauce while having a much lower calorie and fat count than the original. I also substituted lettuce leaves for the traditional mu shu pancakes, making this main dish much lighter and fresher than its namesake while still just as flavorful.

A Note About Gluten: The hoisin sauce I used contains wheat, but if a wheat-free version exists, you could make these gluten-free (you’ll need to check your soy sauce, too).

Look for cans of young green jackfruit in Asian grocery stores, but be sure it’s packed in water or brine, not syrup. You can make these light wraps more filling by adding cooked edamame or soy curls.

Ingredients

1 small onion, diced

3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger root

1 20-ounce can young green jackfruit in water or brine (not syrup), well drained and pieces coarsely chopped

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce (or wheat-free tamari)

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

2 cups shredded cabbage

1/2 cup slivered baby carrots

4 to 5 mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (about 5 ounces)

4 green onions, sliced

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil (optional)

Lettuce leaves for wrapping

Instructions

In a medium-sized saucepan, saute the onion until it softens (add a splash of water or broth if it begins to stick). Add the garlic and ginger root and cook for another minute.

Add the chopped jackfruit, vegetable broth, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce to the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low until jackfruit softens and begins to shred when you press on it with the edge of a spoon (about 20-30 minutes).

Gently “encourage” the larger pieces to fall apart. Then add the remaining ingredients (except lettuce), cover, and simmer until the mushrooms exude their juices, about 5 minutes.

Serve in lettuce cups with sriracha or extra hoisin sauce. May be eaten warm or cold.